Simple Leadership Strategies
TD Smyers
TD Smyers didn't stay at sea for too long.
Smyers, who spent two years sailing the Atlantic Coast, Bahamas, and Caribbean Sea with his wife Barbara aboard their catamaran La Vie Dansante, is the new CEO of Simple Leadership Strategies, a Fort Worth-based consulting firm.
Smyers was formerly president and CEO at United Way of Tarrant County, regional CEO at the North Texas American Red Cross, and 31-year career Navy. Smyers retired in 2011 from the Navy as captain, after a tour as commanding officer of the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. Smyers was previously director of congressional affairs and director of collaborative warfare for Navy Aviation at the Pentagon, and command-at-sea of a maritime patrol squadron in Jacksonville, Fla.
"Since Barbara and I returned to shore after our two-year sailing adventure aboard La Vie Dansante, I’ve been looking for opportunities to continue in servant leadership," Smyers said in a post on the Simple Leadership site.
"It’s a noble calling, and one I’ve loved answering for over four decades. While considering senior executive opportunities with organizations across the country, I had an epiphany – the most value I could bring to serving others is to leverage my 40 years of leadership experience to positively influence the next generation of transformational leaders. Raising up leaders at all levels has always given me joy – the most joy of anything I did as a senior executive."
At Simple Leadership Strategies, Smyers rejoins founder John Wright, who Smyers hired at the United Way to train managers in leadership.
"I participated in the training myself and was immediately impressed with the Simple Leadership Strategies construct," Smyers said. "These weren’t sessions I 'sat through'; they were sticky sessions – grounded in a solid, common-sense approach; structured on a smart continuum of habits and held together with the most practical approach to accountability I’d seen."
At Simple Leadership, Smyers said "I’ll be taking a very hands-on role, reaching out to companies like yours, customizing an SLS curriculum to fit your needs and facilitating sessions – now available both on-site and virtually."
Smyers holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the United States Naval Academy, and a master’s degree in Resource Strategy from the National Defense University’s Eisenhower School.
Smyers has served on numerous boards, and led civilian support for the USS Fort Worth littoral combat ship, as commissioning committee chair in 2012. The Navy awarded Smyers the prestigious Legion of Merit for his leadership at NAS Fort Worth.